USA used to be my number 1 channel.

[agamemnus]

(I feel this is serious enough to put in Debate & Discussion)

Monk -- gone.
Psych -- gone.
In Plain Sight -- gone.
Burn Notice -- gone.

Ok, those guys had a nice run, fine.

But lately, they got rid of White Collar (semi-decent run, but still "too expensive"...) and Covert Affairs (out of the blue, but again "too expensive!").

They are doing the exact same thing as another network I don't watch anymore -- SyFy. The same company owns both -- NBC Universal. (which is now owned by Comcast) SyFy started these shenanigans after it was bought (it was SyFy that saved the Stargate series!), but I guess the execs just don't have enough bonuses yet.

If it's not earning them a ridiculous margin, they can it and pop something else out -- typically with lower and lower production values. But I am one who would attest to the fact that once they start pulling stuff like this and getting rid of high production value shows, people just bail on the whole network -- there's nothing to watch.

USA added some comedies lately but then quickly canned them. No reason to get emotionally invested in a comedy that will run for 1 season.

I'm staying for Royal Pains and Graceland. Then after they get canned, what then? American Idol? Survivor?

Royal Pains -- not much cost to it, except for a couple of high profile scenes. Probably going to be axed in two seasons when the contract is up.

Graceland -- To be honest the scripting and storyline on Graceland is logically very poor and unrealistic, but I'm staying for the acting.

My number 1 channel is currently CBS. There is a reason NCIS is #1 everywhere, and it's not because CBS keeps canning shows before their time.

What's your #1 channel, and if it is USA, why USA?

[LittleFuzzy]

I watched White Collar, and I'd stopped even before they pulled it. It was the only show on USA I'd watched in a long, long time.

[agamemnus]

Ah, these shows grow on you. Well, they grow on me.

Just watched the latest The Mentalist episode. You watch that one? I felt so emotionally drained after watching it.

[earthJoker]

What's your #1 channel, and if it is USA, why USA?

I thought USA was a country.

I have Netflix now for shows and mostly watch sport on TV.

[Dreadnaught]

I just hope Matthew Bomer builds a real career.

Matthew Donovan doesn't seem to be doing too well on that front.

But I think USA is the tip of the spear of how the US TV ad market is collapsing, making networks wary of taking risks on shows that made the USA network stand out. This "golden age of television" is going to have some trouble in this environment, though Netflix and Amazon will prop-up some great shows for a while longer. Wondering if YouTube will get into that game too, though they seem reluctant to be more than a conduit for pay-per-view network shows.

[agamemnus]

Bomer is doing just fine... he's in that Las Vegas hotel (????) commercial I believe. (???)

I saw an advert about Game of Thrones and how they film all year in two locations. The nudity, various violence, and sexual junk annoys me though. I wonder if they would have had an audience without it.

And, speaking of violence, Fox is another one that has previously gone the USA route on action drama comedies after trying a half-hearted Netflix impersonation. There's the canned Alcatraz, which has a neat plot but I feel is excessively violent. For the same reason (just speculating here), Almost Human ... almost made it.. way too much sexual stuff and violence at the stuff for an audience expecting action and adventure probably doomed it, though. (and that audience stayed at HBO)

I thought USA was a country.

[GGT]

Well, the US needs to stop relying on "Hollywood" to capture hearts and minds across the globe. That's a propaganda war....and we don't have a very good record on that front.

BTW, I don't have a #1 channel. I'm mostly a channel surfer. To be honest, I think PBS and BBC have the best shows, hands down.

[agamemnus]

Well, the US needs to stop relying on "Hollywood" to capture hearts and minds across the globe. That's a propaganda war....and we don't have a very good record on that front.

BTW, I don't have a #1 channel. I'm mostly a channel surfer. To be honest, I think PBS and BBC have the best shows, hands down.

USA network, not the USA. But it's true that the vast majority of the shows I watch are American. I tried "The Transporter" (series) and it was awful.

[GGT]

Yeah, I got that. FX and FXX aren't channels focused on special effects, either.

If you're complaining about USA network programming, you might as well complain about CNN....and put it in General Chat.